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Fury as Easter eggs with bottles of notorious Buckfast tonic wine being sold in shops

2 years ago2 years ago

Fury has erupted as the makers of Buckfast have slammed an Easter egg which comes with a mini bottle of the tonic wine and have urged customers not to buy it.

The firm behind the drink are taking action to have the chocolate treats removed from shelves after they sparked a sales frenzy.

The makers of Buckfast have slammed an Easter egg which comes with a mini bottle of the tonic wine and have urged customers not to buy it.

The Buckfast chocolate eggs, which come with a miniature bottle of the tonic wine and a lighter, are being flogged by Northern Irish company d-Bees Offsales.

Demand for the eggs is high with 2000 orders coming in from all over the UK, America and Australia.

J Chandler & Co, who bottle and distribute the wine which is made by Benedictine monks in Devon, have distanced themselves from the product.

The company said in a statement that they were concerned the chocolate treats could attract children and called on consumers to boycott them.

In a statement, Stewart Wilson, sales manager of J Chandler and Co, said: “The Easter eggs that are currently being advertised for sale in Northern Ireland and elsewhere in the UK have not been authorised or instigated by our company. We strongly advise the public not to purchase them.

“As an alcoholic drinks manufacturer we take our responsibilities very seriously. Our products are for adults and we do not engage in any activity that promotes our products, either directly or indirectly to children and young people.

“We do not manufacture or advertise any confectionery items. Customers are advised not to purchase these Easter eggs and we are taking the necessary action to have the products removed to ensure the protection of the public.”

D-Bees, who are in Lurgan, County Armagh, has attracted interest in the past after creating a Christmas Buckfast hamper and a Valentine’s collection of the drink.

It appears to be the Easter package, which costs £9.99, has drawn the most support from the beverage’s loyal following.

Derek Brennan, who owns the shop, said: “The website crashed due to interest. We currently have 2,000 orders.”

Around 2,000 people have placed orders for the egg

Last year, Fife-based firm Chillilicious, which runs Scotland’s only chilli farm, sold Buckfast Easter eggs and sold out within a few days.

The Church of Scotland criticised SNP MP Roger Mullin, who endorsed the eggs on social media.

Buckfast has repeatedly blamed for fuelling drunken violence and anti-social behaviour in Scotland.

The drink has an alcohol content of 15 per cent and the caffeine equivalent of about four coffees per 75cl bottle.

In 2015, the Scottish Prison Service found 43.4 per cent of inmates had consumed Buckfast before their last offence despite it accounting for less than one per cent of total alcohol sales nationally.

But J Chandler insist most customers drink it responsibly and have accused politicians and police of unfairly singling them out.